Dear Editor,
As the Daily has noted, Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist affiliated with Tufts, has recently made headlines for his comments on Chaz Bono and, by extension, all transgender individuals. At first, considering that even some of his fellow Fox commentators took him to task for his remarks, I assumed he would simply be laughed off the public stage. But as the resulting controversy keeps affording him opportunities to make uninformed and damaging statements, bearing Tufts' name as he goes, I wanted to voice my concern as a member of this community and as a human being.
Ablow's comments, already discredited by the American Psychological Association and many of his well-respected peers, are not based in science. He uses rhetorical claims (including a version of "monkey see, monkey do") and grotesque analogies (women sawing off their arms, for instance) to drive home a lurid point that denigrates transgender people. Worse, the pinnacle of his column comes when he says he'd accept surgical treatment for gender dysphoria only if it prevented suicide, but that this wouldn't be a triumph, as if a saved transgender life is not worth celebrating.
One need not be transgender, or have a full grasp of the topic, or even feel comfortable with the subject in order to understand why Ablow's words are problematic. According to FBI crime data analyzed by the Human Rights Campaign, a transgender person is murdered in the United States every three weeks. And a number of studies have shown that hate crimes against transgender victims are especially violent in nature. While Ablow worries about Bono going under the knife on his path to wellness, perhaps he should instead be examining the mutilated bodies of victims of transphobia.
This year, I learned that my college roommate was transgender and had often considered suicide out of the despair she felt in keeping her secret. That she is still alive, and beginning life as the woman she always knew herself to be, is a great relief to me. But I also know that her survival comes with the burden of living with the continual harm done by fearmongers like Ablow.
The university must allow all community members to voice their opinions, even ones that are patently unscientific. It is sad to note that, in this case, the opinion in question is also provably harmful, a blot on the school's reputation. While the institution may not be able to disavow his comments, individuals among us can and should. If we raise our voices to counteract Ablow's claims, perhaps we can represent our community's best nature.
Sincerely,
David Valdes Greenwood
Lecturer, English
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In the Sept. 26 edition of the Daily, I used the word "her" to refer to Chaz Bono. It was an error, and I want to acknowledge it. Even those of us who want the best for Bono and for our transgender loved ones still fail at times, but I hope the message of support was nonetheless clear.
